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Pretty Good

Just thought I’d check in to see how things are going.. Well, things here are pretty good. I’m currently in Lakefield, ON relaxing at my parents’ place. Amazing riding around here – the roads are hilly and rolling but no so hilly that you dread getting out for a ride. Each time I come out here for a weekend I discover new roads and routes. What amazes me is that I don’t often see any other cyclists out riding. I’m guessing this is because there are so many great routes to choose from.

I’m here this weekend because I’ve got an event at Wild Rock Outfitters in Peterborough to attend on behalf of Lolë. Similar to the event held recently at Bushtakah, this is a ladies only night that is all about getting women connected with others who are interested in the outdoors and an active lifestyle: cycling, hiking, running, kayaking, etc. (If you’re in Peterborough or the area, come on out tonight to Wild Rock Outfitters between 6 and 9 pm – definitely come by and say hello!)

Really things have been fairly quiet otherwise. The BMX riding was a ton of fun and I’m planning on getting out again this week for more practice and I might even race this Saturday! Right now my thoughts are on buying my own bike – luckily there are some good used bikes to choose from and the price point for BMX is not as high or intimidating as it can be for road racing or cyclo-cross racing.

So really things have been going well. There has been one hiccup though… My ulcerative colitis has returned. I’m in a flare again. This is very frustrating. It feels as though every time I start to push my body a bit hard (i.e. get into some intense training), my body reacts by getting inflamed and sick. I’ve had to take it easy this week – so no hard rides, no intervals, really just riding to keep my sanity. Frustrating to say the least but the upside is I’m still able to get out and ride and I’m not trapped in the house right now. I’m on some antibiotics that I hope will help. Really this is very challenging – it is hard to know if I should keep training or completely back off from training. I’m sick but not super sick – so where is the line in the sand. Will rest help my body heal? Is it up to the medicine to make me better? What should I eat (been eating a bland/low fiber diet…)? Lots of unknowns. It would be nice to talk with other athletes who are going through the same with ulcerative colitis.

Anyway, this is where I am. I had a couple days of feeling sorry for myself and did shed a few tears about this flare. But I’m past this now. Now I just want to be out on a bike having fun – road, cyclo-cross, BMX – I don’t care which kind of bike – I just want to be out riding and smiling. I feel good when I’m riding so it makes sense to ride.

Looking forward to a good night tonight at Wild Rock Outfitters. I’ll be hitting the road super early on Monday morning to get back to Ottawa for a day at the office and maybe an evening at the BMX track. Yes – things really are pretty good.